2010 Victorian Senior of the Year Awards

2010 Victorian Senior of the Year Awards acknowledge Victorian seniors whose contribution and services to the community are exceptional. The hunt is on again for nominations for this year’s awards, with nominations open now and closing on Friday 23 July.   Seniors over 60, who are Australian citizens, reside inVictoria and who have made an exceptional achievement or contribution to the community can be nominated for an award in the following four categories:

• the Premier’s Award for Victorian Senior of the Year,
• the Council on the Ageing (COTA) Victorian Senior Achiever Awards,
• the ‘Go for your Life’ Award, and
• the Veteran Community Award

Perhaps your  Keen-Agers club has some outstanding senior contributor or volunteer who deserve being nominated for an award   Nominations close Friday 23rd July 2010

22 February 2010:  Bairnsdale Keen-Agers nominated for COTAVIC  award

Accolades for the work of Keen-Agers recreational table tennis continue to roll in. Following the establishment of the Bairnsdale Squash and Table Tennis Centre,  East Gippsland Shire nominated Bairnsdale Keen-Agers for the Club, Group or Organisation category of the COTAVIC 2009 Active At All Ages Awards.

Keen-Agers was one of four finalists. Numurkah Senior Citizens Club was the winning finalist with an outstanding mix of local seniors' activities and club membership growth. 

Cr. Jane Rowe represented the East Gippsland Shire at the Award presentations on Monday 22nd February at Parliament House in Melbourne. The Award was presented by The Hon James Merlino MLA Minister for Sport, Recreation & Youth Affalrs. June & John Gale accepted the award on behalf of Bairnsdale Keen-Agers.

The award also carried a $5,000 gift from RACV to procure club equipment through Rebel Sport stores. Accepting the award, Mr Gale said, "Our association's finances have been stretched to the limit with the recent $1.5 million building project. So the gift, in addition to the honour, is very welcome and will probably be used to purchase more top quality competition tables for the centre"

The award citation reads, "Bairnsdale Keen-Agers: Managed and run by volunteers, this group offers weekly social table tennis for older people, and was a 'driving force' behind the development of the new Bairnsdale Squash and Table Tennis Centre. The club caters for all abilities and has been the model for the development of similar groups across Victoria, with a total participation of about 800 people."

Assisted by funding from Vichealth, Bairnsdale Keen-Agers began fostering the development of recreational table tennis player groups in Victoria 2001/2. Their program was commended in Vichealth's "Active Participation" awards in 2002. In 2006/7 they partnered COTAVIC in an action research project demonstrating key elements required for long term group success. This project won the Vichealth Award for promotion of physical activities 2007.

12 November 09:  Bairnsdale's New Table Tennis centre opened

Bairnsdale's new purpose built table tennis and squash centre opened attended by some 200 supporterrs and friends. 

20 August 09:  Passing of Keen-Agers Co-Founder

Nick Gottschalk, co- founder of Keen-Agers Victoria and Chairman of Bairnsdale Keen-Agers passed away while participating in an evening pennant table tennis session at Bairnsdale. He was scoring a game. One of Bairnsdale's most distinguished citizens in recent decades, Nick had told friends a week earlier that when his time came he hoped he would "drop dead at table tennis." He was responsible for re-establishing the Bairnsdale TTA in 1979 and retained his active role with it for the next 30 years.

Nick, along with John Gale, worked intensively 2001-2004 to establish the first new Keen-Ager groups in Gippsland and remained on the Keen-Ager development team until his death aged 80. There are now 26 groups with 800+ active players weekly. As Mayor of Bairnsdale 1978 Nick successfully lobbied the Victorian government for land access to establish a sports and leisure centre in Bairnsdale. He also played a pivotal role in the development of Bairnsdale's new purpose built table tennis and squash centre which will open shortly.

30 July 09:     Traralgon Diamond Anniversary welcomes Keen-Agers

Traralgon Table tennis association's 60th anniversary tournament in July featured the first ever tournament section designed for Keen-Ager players.  The regular recreational game for Keen-Agers is doubles. It's very social and less strenuous for older players than singles. The tournament offered Men's Doubles, Women's Doubles and Mixed Doubles in a round robin format.

 48 players from 7 Gippsland clubs averaged 8 best-of-5 game sets for a full day's play. Honours were shared between the clubs.  Men's Doubles was fiercely contested with victory going to Ivan Moffatt & Bill Burrows of Drouin with David North & Bruce Bremner from Traralgon runners up. Bairnsdale players June Gale & Liz Carey were runners up to Sheila Whitehead & Pat Davies of Traralgon in the Women's Doubles, whilst victory in the Mixed Doubles went to Jan & Ian Jonas from Leongatha, just ahead of Moe Keen-Agers Maria Stayches & Ron Carswell. 

 Players rated the competition a great success. Keen-Agers founding member John Gale said, "As Keen-Agers clubs continue to grow in Victoria, we look forward to the day when many tournaments include Keen-Ager doubles events."

 15 July 09:     Island table tennis a hit

This article appeared in the East Gippsland News 15/7/09.

It shows how simply a new club can be formed.

Raymond Island Table Tennis recently held its inaugural annual general meeting at the Raymond Island Community Hall with 20 members in attendance.

Table tennis has previously been played at the community hall in the past, but the renewed interest of playing on Raymond Island originated late last year, and in February this year a letter box drop was done to have a meeting to see how many people would be interested. Island resident and Keenagers table tennis player, Ralph Middleton, approached John Gale, chairman of Keenagers and assisted in forming Raymond Island Table Tennis, a division of Bairnsdale and District Table Tennis Association, with insurance through Table Tennis Victoria.

The earlier meeting showed such strong interest that a steering committee was formed to detail items such as public liability, personal indemnity and how a group would need to be formed. A group of table tennis enthusiasts purchased three new tables in late March ready for the first play on Tuesday, April 4, where 23 people arrived to play, ranging from complete beginners through to experienced players. Due to ongoing support with over 20 players attending each Tuesday night, it was time to formalise the group and hold its first annual general meeting. Ralph Middleton was elected president with Rob Poole as vice president, Andrew Bould as secretary and assistant secretary; Tony Driscoll. Sylvia Galloway was elected treasurer with Francis Schulz elected assistant treasurer, publicity officer Andrew Bould and Marj Coulter as assistant publicity officer.

Table tennis has proved to be very popular with players ranging in age from children through to senior players and from beginner through to the more skilled. Each night is non-competitive and, played purely for its social enjoyment. The entry fee on the night also covers refreshments of tea coffee and biscuits. Anyone wishing to learn or play table tennis is welcome at the community hall every Tuesday night, commencing at 7.30pm. If you would like further information, contact president Ralph Middleton or the secretary Andrew Bould.

23rd June 09: Keen-ager Group mooted for Warburton

Keith Sarah of Warburton reports that he is working in partnership with the Upper Yarra Shire to instal suitable tables at St Mary's church hall in Warburton with a view the establishing a Keen-Agers group there. The idea was inspired by the recent launch of the Yarra junction group. Keith plans both day and evening sessions. More news as things progress.

21st April 09: Raymond Island hosts new recreational table tennis group.

Ralph Middleton of Bairnsdale has been instrumental in establishing a group for young and old on Raymond Island situated on the Gippsland lakes at Paynesville. 20 players turn out on Tuesday evenings. It is envisaged that junior players, in particular,  will be encouraged. The group is part of Bairnsdale & District Table Tennis Association which is the founding Keen-Agers club where some 70 play the Keen-Agers version of the game. 

1st April 09:  New table tennis centre for Bairnsdale.

After 6 years' hard work Bairnsdale Keen-Agers and their host club Bairnsdale and District TTA are looking forward to their own permanent home. Construction of the The $1.4 Million multi-purpose centre at Bairnsdale commenced today and will be completed by October 2009. The facility  incorporates table tennis (12 club courts or 9 state tournament courts) squash and racquetball (6 courts) and carpet bowls, as well as a social area.

Funding is shared by the Shire ($250,000) the Victorian Government ($250,000) Federal Government ($700,000) and local club/community fund raising ($220,000) with loan funds (up to $100,000).

It is the respect with which government views the value of recreational table tennis - especially for older people - that has helped the case for what is a unique state-of-the-art indoor sports complex.

12th March 09  Launch of YARRA JUNCTION Keen-Agers table tennis group.

YARRA Junction Keen-Agers table tennis group was officially launched last Tuesday with help from the program’s founder and Victorian secretary, John Gale. Keen-Agers table tennis started in Bairnsdale 8 years ago and now has 26 clubs across Victoria. 

Mr Gale said Keen-Agers Table Tennis was designed for retirees and people with disabilities so they could remain socially and physically active and is pleased that there is now a group in Yarra Junction. “Today the country, tomorrow the world,” Mr Gale joked.

“Keen-Agers is recreational table tennis, it's fun and it's friendship.”

Mr Gale acted as a mentor to John Gates who convened the Upper Yarra Keen-Agers group. A competitive table tennis player for more than 35 years, Mr Gates who is employed as a project worker at the Upper Yarra Community House Yarra Junction, said he was grateful of Mr Gale’s presence and proud of the turnout at the launch. “He [Mr Gale] has just been so good helping me organise this club. He’s always been in the back ground, helping all the way along,” Mr Gates said.  Mr Gale and his wife June, who travelled from Bairnsdale to attend the launch, and the Drouin Keen-Agers Club, who have recently returned from the Masters Games in Geelong, joined members of the community to celebrate the launch with a game of table tennis and a barbecue lunch. 

Regular playing sessions, for Yarra Junction Keen-Agers, are scheduled for 9am to 11am Tuesdays and Fridays at the Yarra Centre YMCA, Yarra Junction. For more information phone _John Gates_ at the Upper Yarra Community House (Active Upper Yarra Project) on 5967 1776.